Guys, you are all incredible. I appreciate all of your feedback, including the extra love for the story!

The responses about more graphic scenes were just as varied as I was expecting, so I have come up with a solution. Once we get to the point where those scenes start, I will be starting up a secondary 'story' that will include the NSFW scenes, so those of you looking for that kind of content will be able to read it if you so choose. I will write the chapter for this version first, so that the younger readers won't miss out on content. Then, instead of just putting the sexy scenes together in their own home, I will write the scenes into the chapter and post the whole thing in the second story. Those ones may take longer for me to get out, but I will post both at the same time, so if you follow both, you should get the updates at the same time and can choose which version to read. Note, while the non-smut readers may miss out on some conversation, I will make sure nothing too important is revealed where you won't see it. I will also make sure to mark each chapter that has a second version so that you will always know it's there.

I really would hate to lose any readers over something that's so easy to fix. I hope this will be a suitable compromise, since you guys are all the best and I just want to keep you happy and entertained.

As always, thanks for all the love and happy reading!


"I'm sorry, you have a date with him?" Levy yanked Lucy's phone out of her hand. "Where did you meet him? He's hot!"

Cana was looking at the phone over the blue haired woman's shoulder and snorted as she sat back and took a drink of her soda. "I still think Natsu is better." Her eyes lit up. "Hey, if things work out with you and Nose Ring, can I have a crack at your roomie?"

Lucy glared at Cana as she took her phone back. "No, hands off." She closed her phone and set it aside. "And I met him at the sports shop in town. He also happened to be at the lodge where Natsu and I were staying during our trip to Aspen."

"He just happened to be there, huh?" Levy's eyes lit up. "And did you also just happen to tell him about your trip when you met at the store?"

"Well, yeah, but we didn't have a date yet, so he didn't know when I was going to be there. It was a coincidence."

"I'm sure it was," Levy said, sounding unconvinced. "Well, I hope it goes well for you. Actually, speaking of dates-"

"I'm here!" Juvia rushed across the empty cafeteria to sit in the open seat at their table. "I am so sorry, our meeting ran long. Did I miss Lucy's news?"

"Yeah, but she was only telling us that she has a date with a buff dudebro," Cana said.

"That's not true," Lucy huffed. "Just because he's muscular does not make him a dudebro. Dudebros are assholes and Stier is a really nice guy."

"How do you know he's a dudebro?" Juvia asked.

"Thinks he is," Lucy corrected.

Cana gestured at the blonde. "Lucy has a picture of them from some party at the lodge where she saw him and danced with him."

"It was only a few dances," Lucy said quietly as she unlocked her phone again.

,She handed the phone to Juvia, whose eyes widened as she looked at the picture. "He is rather large, isn't he? How much time does he spend at the gym? Guys like that don't always have the time for a relationship."

"I don't know, he didn't talk about it." Lucy put her phone away, her cheeks pink. "He only mentioned that he works out with his friends when I met him the first time."

"Hmm, Juvia might be right then," Levy said as she propped up her head in her hand. "He might start making you go to the gym with him all the time, and that could interfere with our girl time and I don't think I'm okay with that."

Lucy sighed. "Guys-"

"And what if she started dieting," Cana added. "She might not be able to drink with us anymore and Fridays will be lame. That settles it!" Cana slammed her hands down. "I don't like him, he's not good enough for you, and I demand you get out of the relationship this instance!"

"I agree," Juvia said. "He's changing you too much. If he doesn't like you the way that you are, he doesn't deserve you."

"Enough!" Lucy stood up. "Guys, I'm only going to dinner with him, we're not dating! Can you just calm down please?"

They all smiled. "We're just teasing, Lu." Levy tugged on her friend's hand. "Come on, sit back down. Finish your lunch."

"Fine," Lucy said, "but no more taunting me, got it?"

They agreed and then settled down as they continued eating their food.

"Soooo," Cana spoke up, "should we talk about sex, ladies? I think it's been a while for some of us."

Lucy groaned as she dropped her head onto the table. Levy's small hand appeared on her shoulder. "You know guys, I actually had some news. I also have a date on Friday!"

Lucy gave her friend a grateful smile as the other two began asking questions.

Levy gave them a smile as she sat up straighter and said, "It's Gajeel."

There was a beat of silence and then all three of the other women began speaking at the same time, completely distracted from Lucy's date.


As Natsu passed by the door of Loke's restaurant for the millionth time, he wondered if he was losing his mind. It was a valid reason for why he was so agitated over the fact that his master was spending the evening with an angel. He shouldn't be jealous of an overgrown, supposedly pure being who could sprout wings of pure white feathers that were absolutely not bigger than his, thank you very much.

As Natsu stopped and stared through the window towards the bar where Loke was currently mixing drinks, he tried once more calm himself down and just go in to talk to the angel. There had to be some sort of law against guardian angels dating their charges. Even if Taurus wasn't her direct guardian, he was helping protect her, which amounted to pretty much the same thing, and Natsu was going to make sure it stopped. There was the little fact that Loke had already suggested they pretend like they didn't know the others identity but he felt that didn't apply in this instance. Lucy wasn't around, and he felt like he should be able to approach the angel about her safety and happiness when it was in jeopardy, which it was. There was no future for Lucy with a guardian angel, and if she ended up really liking the behemoth, she was going to get hurt when he inevitably broke up with her.

That thought helped him to get a firm grip on his anger and he finally entered the building. As Aries looked up from the hostess stand, her smile seemed to fade a little as she glanced around her. "G-good evening, sir. Can I get you a seat?"

"I need to talk to Loke," Natsu said, trying to keep his voice level. Aries was notorious for being the most easily spooked angel in her realm, and while most of the other demons would enjoy mocking the timid being, Natsu had never had any reason to think that she deserved the animosity. "Is it okay if I just go to the bar?"

The woman hesitated and looked over her shoulder. As if she'd called out to him, Loke turned their way and met Natsu's eyes. He lifted a finger and then went back to the drinks he was working on. Aries turned back his way. "Loke will come join us in a minute. Y-you can have a seat if you wish."

"Thank you." Natsu eyed the angel for a while and then went to sit down, seeing that she would no doubt be more comfortable if there was space between them. He tapped his foot impatiently, but true to his word, Loke appeared only a minute later with a smile on his face.

"Natsu! It's great to see you. How was your trip?"

"We need to talk," Natsu said, in lieu of an answer. "Where is your office?"

Loke's smile faded and his expression hardened. "Natsu, I would be very careful about how you treat me in my own house."

"I'm not trying to disrespect you, I just want to skip the false pleasantries and talk."

"What do we have to talk about?" Loke asked.

"The only thing you and I have in common in this world."

Loke seemed to consider him for a moment before he sighed and then gestured at the hybrid to follow him. As they passed the bar, Loke stopped to talk to the bartender for a moment but before continuing to lead Natsu through the kitchen to a hallway in the back, where he opened the door to his office and gestured for Natsu to enter in front of him. Once Natsu was inside the spacious office, he sat in one of dark leather chairs in front of Loke's desk. The space was dark and rich feeling with dark woods and deep red leather covering everything. "Nice office."

"Are you planning on being civil?" Loke asked as he shut the door.

"That will depend on how the conversation goes," Natsu responded, looking over his shoulder at the angel. Loke nodded and then turned towards the door. He pressed against the wall, exposing a hidden panel, where he placed his hand. After the screen scanned his palm, it flashed green and then there was a shift in the room. Natsu glanced around, seeing no changes, but knowing something had happened. "What did you do?"

"We're in the inbetween." The inbetween was a realm that existed between the many different realms, linking them together and allowing for neutral ground for different beings to converse. "This way, at least if you destroy my office, it won't translate to my space in the human world."

Natsu stood with a grin. "It's cute that you're worried about your office instead of your own body."

There was a bright flash of light, and Natsu had to close his eyes to protect them. Once it had settled, he opened his eyes and saw that Leo now stood before him. Natsu could tell his wings were easily twice as wide as the room they were in, even if they were mostly folded in on themselves. Loke's suit had been replaced by an intricate white and gold robe that covered most of the spirit's body, leaving only his hands and face exposed. In the dim light, he could see the angel's skin shimmer, even beneath the now much longer orange hair. Ears on top of the angel's head twitched, and then turned in his direction.

"Tell me," Loke said. "Do you think that you, a mere dragon demon hybrid such as yourself could defeat me, the highest ranked guardian angel among the elite of my world? I am one of the strongest beings in my world, second only to the king himself. Why should I be scared?"

Natsu only stared at Leo, not at all impressed by his display. "It means nothing to me that half of my blood is demon. I am the son of the dragon king. That alone makes me easily as powerful as you, if not more so."

The angel scoffed. "You don't seem to so mighty to me in your human skin. Why don't you show me your great power? Show me your true form, the one you are rumored to have but refuse to use because it scares the widdle demons in your realm," Leo mocked.

Natsu maintained eye contact with the angel, knowing that if he looked away, Leo would take the action as a sign of weakness. Seeing him in his true form, Natsu decided that the angel's reputation probably had some merit to it. Leo's power was rumored to transcend that of almost every demon in their realm, though none had ever battled the angel to prove it. Fighting between their worlds was frowned upon, almost forbidden. In fact, their interactions in the human world, if they'd happened almost anywhere else, would have been cause for punishment in both realms.

His skin began to itch and his desire to put the angel in his place was almost too much to resist. There was almost nothing he wanted more in that moment than to rise to the bait and put the angel in his place. It had been too long since he'd had a good fight, and he felt the slits where his wings were hidden slide open on their own, stretching his shirt a little as they began to poke through. Maybe he could take a moment, just a little time, to take out some of his frustration on Loke. The angel could no doubt take a beating from him without dying if he held himself back a little, and then maybe he could take a turn on that titan who was out with Lucy…

As he thought of Lucy, the fire left Natsu's body, and his wings slid back into place. He was here for Lucy, not to fight the leader of the Zodiac. No matter how good the idea sounded. Lucy was more important than getting a few blows in on the smug being in front of him.

Natsu sighed as he crossed his arms. "Are you done showing off? This peacock routine is annoying and unnecessary. I came here to talk about Lucy, not watch you fluff your feathers at me," he said in a bored tone.

He could have sworn he almost saw a smile on Leo's face before the angel moved to sit in his chair behind the desk. "Alright, you have my attention. What exactly would you like to talk about?"

"Taurus," Natsu said, sitting on the arm of the chair he'd been in.

Leo frowned. "I already told you, you can't make any demands about him being removed-"

"I want him to stop trying to date Lucy," Natsu said. When Leo looked surprised, he continued. "I'm guessing he didn't tell you that was on his to-do list. Lucy has no future with a guardian angel of your realm so the bull angel has no reason to date her. Best case scenario they stay friends afterwards, but worst case scenario, she actually gets feelings for the perv and he eventually breaks her heart. I want it to stop. I don't care if he sticks around as a friend, but I want the fake relationship stuff to stop. She's my master, and I have every right to ask this as her demon.

"Otherwise, if she were to ask it, or even just permit it, I would be fully within my rights to take revenge on the man who hurt her, emotionally or physically. While I would enjoy that immensely, and because of my bond with her, avoid most of the punishment that would come after, I think you would probably prefer we avoid the whole mess. What do you think?"

Leo sat back in his seat. After a moment, there was another flash and Loke appeared in his human form. He pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "I knew I should have just asked Scorpio."

"And risk that psycho Aquarius going after Lucy? That's not any better." When Loke's eyebrows raised in surprise, Natsu shrugged. "You hear things in the demon realm."

"I don't honestly think that would have happened."

"From what I hear, she's a pretty possessive being, and Lucy is gorgeous. Them just being in the same room might have been enough." Loke looked up sharply. "What?"

The angel just stared at him for a moment, then changed the subject. "I'll have a talk with Taurus. You're right, for once-"

"Hey!"

"-so I will look into the matter and see to it that it's fixed."

"Thank you," Natsu said. "I'm not sure if it's something you angels do a lot but it's a shitty way to do your job."

"It's not common, no, it's just the way Taurus gets around pretty girls. I suppose I should have seen it coming but I thought he'd been joking this time."

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.

"He said that it'd be easier to be around her more if he were to date her, but he said it in a way that I thought he wasn't serious. He knows how important this job is, so I thought it was a given that it was a bad plan." Loke rubbed his eyes again. "That angel can be a real handful sometimes."

"You do know I'm around, right?" Natsu felt his wings itching to be let out again. "I can protect Lucy just as well as the lot of you. And I'm doing it on my own," he scoffed.

Loke didn't even look at him. "You know as well as I do that the contract between a demon and their master trumps all other magic until the contract is complete."

"Speaking of…" Natsu leaned back, and folded his arms and legs at the ankles. "The hell, man?"

"What?" Loke asked.

"How long have you been Lucy's guardian angel?"

"Years," Loke answered noncommittally.

"Then tell me, Mr. All-Powerful-Angel, how did your charge manage to accidentally summon a demon, when she shouldn't have even been able to do it on purpose? A guardian angel and demon being tied to a human at the same time causes many problems, for both sides, but mostly for the angel. From what I know, you guys invented some sort of protection aspect to the binding spells and contracts between humans and beings like us just so that this kind of thing can't happen. So how did Lucy manage it? On accident."

"I'm not sure," Loke said, but Natsu didn't believe him. There was something in his eyes that didn't line up with his answer and Natsu knew that the leader of the Zodiac was lying to him. The question was if he should push the issue or not.

"If that's all, Natsu, I need to get back to work. I may be a rather powerful being, but I also run a restaurant and have responsibilities that require my attention. Unless," he said, his voice deepening, "you've changed your mind about showing me that other form you keep so well hidden? I would welcome the challenge."

Natsu snorted and then stood up. "You don't know what you're asking, and I'd rather not fight you. You're Lucy's friend and I'd hate to upset her by killing you." Loke opened his mouth, but Natsu continued. "I got what I came for, so if you don't mind, I'd like to leave. I'm busy too you know."

Loke grinned as he stood and walked back towards the door. "You know Natsu, under the right circumstances, we might actually be able to be friends."

"Don't get your hopes up, angel, I'm not in the market for more friends right now."

The angel chuckled as he opened the panel and put his hand on the scanner. "I appreciate your honesty, Natsu. It's a rare thing in this day and age, especially among demons."

"Well, I've always thought I was a little more dragon than demon," Natsu said, a small smile finding its way through.

On the way out of the hallway, the pair were silent, at least until they made it to the bar. Loke lifted the counter and joined the other bartender, then turned Natsu's way. "I'll have it taken care of by the end of tomorrow, you have my word."

Natsu nodded at the angel and then grinned. "Don't work too hard."

"Don't think I ever could," Loke responded with a matching smile.

As Natsu gave Aries a nod and finally left, he found that he felt much better than he anticipated. He'd even managed to avoid getting drawn in by Loke's taunting, which had always been a hard thing for him to do. Natsu wondered if maybe the air of the human world was getting to him. Even he had noticed that he'd been acting strange lately, and he wasn't sure if he liked it.

Fighting the urge to head towards the cafe across town, where he knew a certain date was happening, he decided to head home. He could start researching for his next trip, and maybe find somewhere a little less dangerous to take Lucy this time around. Natsu smiled and even hummed a little to himself as he began his walk back to Lucy's place.


Australia. That was definitely where they were going next.